5k Not Enough For Race Winner

July 05, 2006|By DARRYL SLATER, dslater@dailypress.com | 247-4641

YORK — Former William and Mary runner Ed Moran, now a pro, has plenty left in the tank after winning the Yorktown Freedom Run.

Ed Moran crossed the finish line, slowed his pace to a jog and just kept going -- past volunteers and the post-race water station, down a paved road, across a field toward the starting line. He peeled off his sweaty jersey, swapped his racing flats for training sneakers and ran the 5-kilometer course at Yorktown Battlefield all over again.

It wasn't enough that Moran won Tuesday morning's Yorktown Freedom Run in 14 minutes, 39 seconds -- the race's second-fastest time ever, four seconds off the record. He needed to squeeze in a 5K workout after the race, completing the course in about 15:15 -- a time that would've placed him second in the actual race.

William Christian was the men's runner-up (15:12). Cheryl Anderson was the top women's competitor (17:12). Jennifer Quarles finished second (18:12).

Unlike many weekend warriors in the 776-runner field of the Peninsula's largest 5K, Moran gets more out of these races than a good sweat. Shortly after he finished his career at William and Mary last spring, Moran landed a professional sponsorship from Nike. He gets free clothes and shoes, reimbursed travel expenses and a salary that he said is enough to live on, though he said he's not allowed to talk numbers.

Moran, 25, also works as an assistant coach for the Tribe's cross country and track and field teams, though his main goal is qualifying for the 5,000 meters at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He's under contract with Nike through 2008.

None of this seemed plausible last June. Moran had just completed his William and Mary career and traveled to Carson, Calif., to compete in the 5,000 as an amateur in what he figured would be his last meet: the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He already had a job lined up with a government consulting firm in Washington, D.C. He planned to start three weeks after the meet.

Then he finished seventh in the 5,000, in 13:25.87 -- almost 14 seconds faster than his personal record. "It was one of those things," he said, "where you look up at the clock, and you're like, 'Wow.' "

Moran was the top amateur finisher in the race, so he attracted plenty of attention. "It's amazing," he said. "I finished the race and within 20 to 30 minutes, people were talking about shoe deals."

He had an agent the next day and soon signed with Nike. The consulting job would have to wait. "I figured: Why not give it a try?" he said.

At this year's USA outdoor championships on June 23 in Indianapolis, Moran ran the 5,000 in 13:38.02, finishing sixth in a race won by Bernard Lagat, the silver medalist in the 1,500 at the 2004 Olympics.

Moran figures he needs to run between 13:15 and 13:18 to qualify for Beijing. "It's not a bad gig," he said. "I don't think there's really a better job out there." *